Skullgirls: 2nd Encore Review (NekoMancer)
So let's get something straight right off the bat.
The decisions made by the current developers to censor some of the imagery in this game are terrible.
These decisions are shallow, foolhardy, and acquiescent. I heavily implore you to look at the changes made to this games artistic direction and judge for yourself. But a personal opinion for me and many other fans of this games art and story is that the developers are aiming to please an audience that doesn't play the game. Critics who make off hand comments about the game direction and attempt to find measly insignificant details and change them into offensive icons.
One of many examples of this are with the Egret Soldiers in the story mode. Who are being considered offensive because of the red arm bands that they wear being similar to that of Nazi arm bands, thus making a comparison that would "offend" some people. This is stupid on two different levels.
1. Military arm bands are not exclusive to Nazi's. In fact they were invented by the french and were known as "Brassard's". They served the same purpose and since then the idea of using Armbands to communicate officer rank has been used in many countries besides Nazi Germany.
2. The armband itself wasn't the offensive thing about Nazi's. IT WAS WHAT WAS ON THE ARMBAND! THE SWASTIKA! The Egrets in this game wear armbands with umbrella symbols on them. That symbol represents their leader, Parasoul. A swastika represents...well...you know what it represents. The band itself only represents that ranking of an army officer, it has no offensive meaning.
TLDR: These changes are being made because people don't care enough to read between lines and look at things on the surface level. There are several other changes on similar caliber that I could go on, but like I said before, I implore you to look into deeper.
I think I've made it clear that this was a dull decision. But ultimately I still HAVE to give Skullgirls a recommendation. I've been following this franchise ever since its launch on consoles and I have always enjoyed it. And while the censor changes are scummy and awful, I refuse to let the work of the original creators drown in the abyss of obscurity because of a couple nobodies who don't know what they are doing. I will complain and moan about their actions until they are reverted. But there is still hope and time. And even if the developers choose to alter the game further, I have faith in the modding community to revert the changes like they are right now.
As for you, the person reading this. I leave you with the choices that you were already considering.
1. You can buy this game, and experience a fun fighting game with a fun feel and tough skill ceiling that has amazing characters, music, stages and story. Maybe even going as far as modding the original artwork back in.
Or
2. you decide not to support the decisions made by the developers and put a stop to crummy interference and having companies have their way in abusing the gaming industry.
To me, both answers are not wrong.